Addis Ababa City Roads Authority is leaving three contractors out of future contracts until they bring their performance up to its standards.
In its six-month report presented at a press conference, Fekadu Haile, general manager of the Authority, said Afro Tsion, SATCON, and Ethio General, have recorded a performance rate of below 75pc in their projects. These companies will therefore not be participating in upcoming city road tenders, until their project status reaches that figure.
“This not a ban,” Fekadu insisted, “[it is] just temporary until their performance improves.”
The first two contractors are Grade 1 companies who claim to have turnovers of over two billion Birr each. However, they found themselves in this position as each has a long-overdue city road project in its hands. SATCON, a company that was first founded in 1993 as Samuel Teklay Construction, is still on its first road project that was awarded in 1993.
SATCON undertook construction of the road from Teklehaymanot in Addis Ketema District to Betemengist in Arada District over 20 years ago, promising to finish by 1994. One contractual extension has followed another ever since. In the last one, the deadline set for completion was February, 2016. But, according to Deputy General Manager, Kidus Gebremichael, SATCON’s mission remained unaccomplished because the company spent the past month looking for suitable cobblestone for the sidewalk.
In its report the Authority placed blame on the contractors’ lack of capacity. Other factors cited for the backlog, were: power and water utilities’ tardy demolition schedules, late infrastructure construction requests, and lack of inter agency cohesion.
Afro Tsion also has a long overdue project on its hands. In an area called Philipos, in Gullele District, it took a 1.3km road project, including construction of a bridge, that would connect adjacent neighbourhoods divided by a river. The bridge, rising 23m above the river, has been completed for over a year, but the road remains unfinished. Afro Tsion says it will be completed in 15 days, with only asphalting to be done.
“It used to take us an hour to cross that way,” said Andualem Berega, a shop-owner who has lived in the area since 2000. “Even then, only able-bodied people were able to make the steep slopes.”
The 132 million Br project also included approaching streets on either side. These also remain unfinished because of right of way issues.
“We cannot build on private property,” Sisay Desta, a major shareholder and General Manager, said.
His company had to wait until the City Administration, and respective entities like utilities names, finished removing obstructing properties. He complained that the Roads Authority frequently changed the design and late notifications for utility burials also forced the project to pause now and then.
The subcontractor who had taken over pedestrian walkways had his own complaints. He said his company had to redo one whole side of the street because the cobblestones laid, had been dug out by the water utility to bury pipes. There was neither notice nor compensation, he claimed.
Some residents said they had not received prior notice of their properties’ demise or of their impending relocation until last August. And the demolitions did not start before November.
In just the first six months of the current fiscal year, settling right of way disputes had required the demolition of 532 houses and fences, and significant amounts of phone, power, and water lines, costing the Authority 43 million Br in compensation.
After the demolitions took place, Afro Tsion had asked for an additional 87 days in which to finish the project, but it was granted only 32 days by the Authority. The consultant OMEGA had recommended 47 days, with a February 28 deadline.
Road construction did not resume immediately after the demolition because Afro Tsion needed time to find a bitumen mixing plant, Tesfaye Misganaw, engineering deputy general manager explained.
Afro Tsion’s exclusion has already begun. One month ago, the company was disqualified from a bid because of 71pc performance, four percentage points short of the required 75pc.
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